Pickett, who was picked the MAAC preseason player of the year, is set to only improve in his sophomore season. Though Hammond is a high-level scorer and shooter, he really doesn’t create much offensively – rather, he prefers to do his damage off the ball and in transition. The worst his Broncs have finished in conference play in eight seasons is T-7th, and Rider has only finished below .500 twice during his tenure. Cluess coached Iona for nine seasons and led his Gaels to eight 20+ win campaigns, six NCAA Tournaments, and four regular season MAAC championships. Niagara has more frontcourt depth than last season with the addition of freshman Touba Traore and transfers Jordan Cintron and Kobi Nwandu. However, Cubbage also has a tendency to take terrible shots. Alas, Dunleavy is left sans star players, but he does bring back enough to be dangerous in the middle of an always-competitive MAAC in 2020-21. Bottom Line: Baggett has earned the respect of a “program bump” when predicting the MAAC standings. By Pete Fiutak | November 4, 2020 1:54 am MAC college football predictions, schedule, game previews, lines and TV listings for Week 10 of the season. King averaged 14.5 PPG and shot 41.9% from deep last season; he’s a skilled big man who can run the floor, score in the post, and shoot the three. Marist ranked 350th nationally in 2PFG%, which contributed to the Red Foxes having the 343rd best overall offense in the country. Manhattan Jaspers (12-18, 10-10 MAAC) Key Player: sophomore forward Warren Williams. As is expected from Witherspoon’s offensive style, Canisius ranked #1 in the country in plays ended via cuts and also turned in one of the highest assist rates in the nation for the 4th consecutive season. Freshman PG Marty Silvera out of Putnam Science Academy is a thick guard who plays low to the ground ala Matthew Lee. However, the Jaspers were in fact light years better than their 2018-19 squad despite finishing with a similar conference record – per KenPom Manhattan finished 51 spots higher nationally last season. When opposing teams broke through this pressure, they were met by a frontcourt unit that shut down shot opportunities – SPU ranked #1 in the MAAC in eFG% defense and #1 in block rate. With back-to-back injury-riddled seasons for the Peacocks, Saint Peter’s is without its former heart and soul, Davauhnte Turner. A lot depends on the JUCO recruits. He was the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year and earned 3rd Team All-Conference honors. De Sousa is a versatile wing who would compete for starts if able to play. AAC basketball predictions for the 2020-2021 NCAA basketball season as Houston is the favorite but could be challenged by the likes of Memphis and SMU. When on the court last season, Jones was the 4th highest used player in the conference – look for him to be a reliable frontcourt contributor once again this season. Recent UMBC transfer Arkel Lamar is a gigantic late addition for the Jaspers, a player that is somehow still in college (he was on UMBC’s 16-seed squad that unseated Virginia many moons ago). The Hawks ranked 19th in the country in offensive APL and relied heavily on transition to power their scoring attack. His offensive game needs some polish, but at least he already has “run the floor and dunk” nailed down pat. Toatley might supplant Chaput in the starting five, however, after pouring in 11.2 PPG for Chattanooga as a freshman two years ago. Niagara knocked off each of the top four squads (Siena, Saint Peter’s, Rider, and Monmouth) in the MAAC as well as Iona during the year and finished a robust 8-2 at home in league play compared to a dreadful 1-9 on the road. The system is there for this team to be successful, the players just need to execute. Jarvis Vaughan. Similar to Brown, Nigerian freshman Nelly Junior Joseph brings strength and size to the Iona frontcourt. Crawford, senior forward Tajuan Agee and junior guard Asante Gist earned all-MAAC preseason honors. One of the main issues the past two seasons has been FT shooting – Manhattan has ranked 353rd (dead last) and 348th in FT% over the past two years. Still, the talent is there for Kamba to develop into a dangerous offensive player in the MAAC – something SPU could really use. With this amount of pressure it’s very difficult to get clean three-point looks against the Jaspers, but, as most high-pressure defenses tend to do, Manhattan always ranks among the highest FT rates allowed in the land. Only four players return from last year’s 12-8 MAAC squad. Wednesday, November 4 Eastern Michigan at Kent State. Key Returners: Deion Hammond, Samuel Chaput, Marcus McClary, George Papas, Melik Martin, Nikkei Rutty, Gob Gabriel, Jarvis VaughanKey Losses: Ray Salnave, Mustapha Traore, Louie Pillari, Sam IbiezugbeKey Newcomers: Donovann Toatley (Chattanooga), Myles Foster, Jack Holmstrom, Myles Ruth, Klemen Vuga. Green will improve ball security (the Stags turned it over a lot) and bring a bit more three-point shooting to the perimeter. Holloway quickly proved just how wrong we all were about his Peacocks and ended the season ranked 194th and 2nd in the MAAC. Outlook: Whoever had the ticket for Rick Pitino coaching Iona in 2020-21 for +100000000, please send some of that good luck my way. Stay tuned. Bell can stretch the floor for the Red Foxes, knocking down 38.1% of his three-point tries last year. The Jaspers managed just 0.82 PPP when Paulicap was on the floor versus 0.93 PPP when he rode the pine – a very interesting stat indeed. Quinnipiac 8. Like the offensive end, the losses of Vaughn and Marshall will truly hurt Rider’s productivity on this end. Partnering with Camper in the frontcourt will be 6’9” sophomore Kyle Young, Rhode Island transfer Dana Tate, and Detroit transfer Harrison Curry. So, should we expect more of the same from Manhattan in 2020-21? Rider ranked 17th in the country in FT rate last season, and Baggett’s squads are consistently good on the glass. The downside is trying to transition the massive additions to the team, especially the five freshmen that are new to the squad, to carrying the load of college starters in an effort to avoid being in the basement come season’s end as the coaches have predicted it to be this campaign. Fellow returning double-digit scorers EJ Crawford and Roland Griffin feed off his penetration, with Crawford serving as an inside-out threat at 6’6 with a smoother jumper, while Griffin is more of a power interior player. He started 30 games for the Minutemen and ranked 4th in the A-10 in FT rate as a sophomore. Marfo and Kelly would have been senior leaders on a Bobcat team that fit well together and was rich in experience. In the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), the story of the season is whether or not Iona can once again defend its championship crown. The odds at DraftKings Sportsbook have Buffalo as the favorite following two tremendous seasons in a row, but former bench boss Nate Oats is now the head … Bottom Line: Saint Peter’s is not a sexy team. Yes, yes we should. Though the Eagles seemed to try to compensate for this weakness with perimeter pressure (albeit oftentimes through zone), opposing teams still found ample open shot chances from behind the three-point line, a deadly combination with Niagara’s futility on the boards. Vuga is a big Slovenian forward with perimeter skills who could contribute right away. 2020-10-19T19:58. Pickron is mostly a spot-up shooter (Quinni has a lot of those) while Chenery and Kortright offer more in the realm of athleticism. Though Iona lost one of its leading scorers from last season, Rickey McGill, the Gaels’ addition of Isaiah Washington, founder of the notorious basketball collective ‘Jellyfam,’ will be sure to keep backcourt defenders honest. After a rough 6-5 start to the conference season, Siena rattled off nine straight wins and evolved into one of the better mid-majors in the land. Ukrainian JUCO transfer George Maslennikov, a former DePaul Blue Demon, likely doesn’t see the floor much in his first season in Buffalo. @SChornobroff will file a postgame story. Henderson is a shooter who possesses good size on the perimeter. Steven Levnaic, one of Niagara’s better on-ball defenders last season, ranked 3rd in the MAAC in steal rate and was the only Purple Eagle to be described as an “excellent” defender on a PPP basis by Synergy. Paulus instructed his squad to play at a slower tempo and focused on ball screens, isolation, and drive-and-kick to create offensive opportunities for his guard-dominated roster. Key Returners: Majesty Brandon, Armon Harried, Jordan Henderson, Jacco Fritz, Scott Hitchon, Jalanni White, Akrum AhemedKey Losses: Malik Johnson, Corey BrownKey Newcomers: Malek Green (Morehead State), Ahamadou Fofana (JUCO), George Maslennikov (JUCO), Siem Uijtendaal, Asa Beyah. Monmouth should be able to hold its own against multiple conference opponents and the MAAC should be prepared for another deep run from the Hawks in March. CSUN transfer Rodney Henderson will also compete for starts after playing just three games for the Matadors last season. He’s best at attacking the basket in transition and creating extra possessions off the glass for Siena on the offensive end. Given that the Purple Eagles were the worst rebounding team in college basketball, making outside shots was a must to win ball games, which they did on a near-nightly basis. This will be the norm for Iona under Pitino – he’ll reel in talented class after talented class and eventually have this program among the best mid-majors in the country. Warren Williams will be the primary big man with Paulicap no longer in the picture. With Burns out of the picture, Young could man the starting five spot all season long in 2020-21. First Team Selections . The supporting cast behind Pickett will have to overperform to put Siena in contention for the MAAC crown. Dunne’s teams always rebound the ball well and focus on shutting down the interior – his guards dig on drivers and posters, disallowing penetration and easy chances near the rim. Last year the Griffs ranked 8th in the MAAC in offensive efficiency driven by bad shooting, lack of trips to the foul line, and poor shot selection (read: lots of mid-range jumpers). A year ago, Niagara almost upended the cinderella Monmouth team in the first round of the MAAC tournament. Dunne is going to pull of some wins in games in which he has no business competing, but ultimately his Red Foxes don’t have the offensive firepower to vault into the upper half of the league standings in 2020-21. Pickett is the best player in the conference by a fair margin, and he should have his squad in position to take home another league title and finally take his program back to the Big Dance. Sophomores Gary Harris, Jr. and Jordan King will flank the star PG on the wings. The one thing Maciariello’s defense did particularly well last season was forcing teams to play in isolation – the Saints ranked #1 in the league in assist rate allowed and 42nd nationally. Ohio (1) – 117 points 3. Baggett’s squads have been burned in the past with their tendency to pack it in versus extend out past the arc, but last season opposing team’s shot just 31.2% against the Broncs despite Rider giving up by far the highest rate of threes in the MAAC. That can be a good strategy when squads are cold and if a good shot contest is there, but Monmouth has been consistently burned from deep the past three seasons. In the halfcourt Rice will continue with his preferred 4-out, 4-guard lineups and look to space the floor for wing drivers and post touches. Crawford. Defensively, Iona is going to look WAYYYY different than it did under Cluess. Williams has ranked in the top five of the MAAC in block rate two straight seasons and is a solid offensive rebounder when he can stay out of foul trouble. Niagara Purple Eagles (9-21, 5-15 MAAC) Key Player: sophomore guard Marcus Hammond. Pickett particularly excels in the pick-n-roll, a staple of Maciariello’s offense, scoring 0.972 PPP (91st percentile nationally) as the ball handler off ball screens in 2019-20. 2020 MAAC Tournament predictions with expert picks from NCAA Hoops free picks experts at Docsports.com. 6’10” sophomore Adam Cisse and 6’9” redshirt sophomore Daniel Schreier round out Manhattan’s frontcourt rotation. All eyes will be on Jalen Pickett, the reigning MAAC POY and one of the best players in the country at any conference level. An excellent defender, McClary is very much a “glue guy” for the Hawks – offensively he is NOT a shooter (only 30 career 3P attempts), but he does grab his fair share of offensive boards. For starters, Pitino brings in a ridiculous recruiting class for MAAC purposes highlighted by three top 100 JUCO prospects and a solid cadre of freshmen. Solomon is a solid offensive player who will look to improve his efficiency in 2020-21. Seton Hall transfer Anthony Nelson needs to be good right away for Manhattan to have any semblance of a competent offensive attack. Description. 2020-21 MAC Basketball Preview Award Projections Player of the Year: Loren Jackson, Akron Jackson can look to stamp himself into the league’s history books if he can repeat. Ndefo was a one-man wrecking crew defensively last season. Zion Tordoff, a good rebounder, Henry Makeny, an Australian forward, and Victor Enoh, a Memphis transfer, round out the Marist frontcourt rotation. Dunleavy’s offenses are fun to watch – it’s a very unselfish style of play – but Quinnipiac still has light years to go before catching up to Jay Wright’s level of efficiency at Nova. Pitino’s defenses pressure the hell out of opposing teams – he’ll throw in an aggressive fullcourt man press and drop back into a harassing 2-3 matchup zone. Mack is the best returning outside shooter on the roster. He’s the heir to Kevin Marfo, and while he won’t bring the same impact on the boards, he’ll provide more rim protection and function as a dangerous PnR lob threat. Comments In Channel. This season look for Pickett to continue his dominance over the MAAC as his game continues to mature and lead the Saints back to the top of the conference. Buchanan is an inefficient wing who has posted O-ratings of 65.3 and 82.9 in his first two collegiate seasons. Lining up in the backcourt with Cubbage will be a couple of shooters in Tyler Saint-Furcy and Matt Herasme. Harris started 15 games as a freshman and is a super athletic slashing and defensive wing, while King is a knockdown outside shooter who hit 43.1% of his triple tries in MAAC play. Williams’s biggest asset is his ability to get good, deep position in the paint – he has a strong lower body he can use to clear space inside for easy layups or driving lanes. Manhattan moves the ball well on offense – the Jaspers are consistently among the top teams in the nation in assist rate – and they get to the free throw line at a very high rate. Offensively, Rider likely takes a massive step back in 2020-21. Bottom Line: There’s no question Canisius gets better this season, but I still don’t see the Griffs as a threat to win the MAAC title. Rate the images on a scale of fire emojis.… https://t.co/VETCNkBbCz, @RiderMBB up 30-24 with 5:00 left in the first half. He excels in the pick-n-roll – obviously a staple in Witherspoon’s offense – and is a viable late-clock option when attacks stall. It was the worst season in the 4-year tenure of head coach Reggie Witherspoon, the first time his Griffs have finished below .500 in conference play. Whipple’s form and confidence suggests he is in fact a good outside shooter, he’s just yet to prove it. Iona Gaels (17-13, 15-5 MAAC) Key Player: senior guard E.J. Ngalakulondi will add spacing to the floor with his ability to knock down an open three – he’ll also chip in with the shot-blocking, defensive, and rebounding efforts this season. There’s nothing on the floor Pickett cannot do – he’s led the league in assist rate two straight years, he’s posted very low turnover rates in college, he can shoot, he can score, and he can play defense. Marist. Pope averaged 19.3 PPG while shooting 40.7% from deep on 214 attempts at his JUCO last season. The Broncs are hungry for their first MAAC title and they appear to be more than ready to break their MAAC tournament curse. 5. Guards Landon Taliaferro and Jesus Cruz both earned third-team honors and are the undisputed faces of the Stags’ lineup. Pickett didn’t quite ascend to Super Saiyan status ala Ja Morant during his sophomore season, but he was still excellent in a less ball-dominant role compared to his year under Jamion Christian. Monmouth’s aggressive style of play results in copious amounts of fouls but it also creates transition opportunities. It is a single-elimination tournament and seeding is based on regular season records. Lamar was hurt most of last season but offers plenty of versatility and shooting from the 3 or 4 when healthy. The Griffs threw a few haymakers with a win against St. Bonaventure and a 30-point drubbing over UIC but ultimately finished 10th in a down MAAC, getting swept by Fairfield and splitting with Niagara in the process. This was not a typical college basketball team – the Peacocks’ leading scorer averaged 8.5 PPG and nobody played over 23 MPG. Though it lost handily to Iona, 81-60, Monmouth is still poised to make a solid run in the 2020 regular season, despite a schedule of tough opponents in the non-conference schedule. Two newcomers, Nick Hopkins and Aidan Carpenter, could also play major roles in the Siena backcourt rotation this year. Brown began his career at George Washington and is your stereotypical non-scoring, table-setting lead guard. Key Returners: Elijah Buchanan, Samir Stewart, Warren Williams, Nehemiah Mack, Romar ReidKey Losses: Pauly Paulicap, Tykei Greene, Christian Hinckson, Tyler Reynolds, Michael OkaforKey Newcomers: Anthony Nelson (Seton Hall), Jason Douglas-Stanley (George Mason), Marques Watson (JUCO), Nick Brennen (JUCO), Samba Diallo (UMass), Arkel Lamar (UMBC). Edert was also a member of the MAAC All-Rookie squad and one of the two Peacocks to post an O-rating over 100.0 He’s a pure shooter who knocked down 44.2% of his triple tries last season. Offense ran through EJ Crawford and Tajuan Agee last season – this year will be a more guard-centric attack. Nwandu is a DII transfer who followed Beilein over from Le Moyne – he brings needed size and athleticism to the fold. Asante Gist and Isaiah Ross will be looked upon to provide scoring for the Gaels in their redshirt senior seasons. The Peacocks were DOMINANT on this end in MAAC play, posting a defensive rating of 91.5, which would have been the 15th best mark in the country had SPU continued that pace throughout non-conference play. There’s no doubt who the alpha is on Monmouth’s squad this season – Hammond will be on the shortlist for MAAC POY in 2020-21 and is the main reason to like the Hawks’ chances in the conference title race. G: E.J. The Robin to Pickett’s Batman is Manny Camper, a 1st Team All-MAAC member last season who enjoyed quite the breakout during his junior year. Bad offense paired with good defense? Foster boards and scores – he has great touch around the bucket and should develop into a good defender down the road. Up front, Myles Foster and Klemen Vuga join the fold as freshmen. Golson has a DI ready frame and is a strong forward who should contribute in a year or two. Manhattan 4. Despite that wild success, Monmouth didn’t reach the NCAA Tournament and still haven’t to this day under Rice. With the MAAC basketball tournament tipping off on Tuesday, here’s our breakdown and predictions for this week’s event in Atlantic City. Majesty Brandon is probably the most likely to take on primary ball handling responsibilities, but he is much better served as an off-ball attacker where he can really use his scoring ability to his advantage. Henderson is a talented scoring wing who doubles as one of Canisius’s better on-ball defenders. With three starters returning and several other key rotational pieces, the Hawks will have another legitimate shot at the MAAC crown and that elusive auto-bid. The official Men's Basketball page for Mid-American Conference Bottom Line: Iona replaces a college basketball legend with another college basketball legend. Saint Peter's 10. Niagara ranked 25th in the country in 3P% and shot a ridiculous 40.7% from behind the arc in league play. The Jaspers have finished between 6th and 8th in the league standings four out of the last five years and promise to do the same this season. He’s a long, active big man with good touch around the block. So what can we expect from the Pitino-led Gaels this season? Sophomore guard Romar Reid and JUCO transfer Marques Watson round out the primary backcourt rotation while 6’2” senior Ethan Lasko likely resumes his deep, seldom-used backup role. John Dunne’s offenses typically spread the floor in a 4-out / 1-in fashion. Privacy Policy / Terms of Service / Video Platform powered by CBS Sports Still, John Dunne, as he always does, had his team punching above its weight class, pulling off six wins in the MAAC including a victory over his former school, Saint Peter’s. Seniors George Papas and Marcus McClary will each be in the mix for starter’s minutes on the wing. 10. Benning is also a bigger guard at 6’4” 202 lbs. Estrada handled most of the ball handling duties last year, so his transfer really hurts – sophomore guard Matthew Lee, junior CG Dallas Watson, and Murray State transfer Noah Kamba will be looked upon to provide some semblance of ball security in the backcourt. The loss of All-Rookie Team member Tyler Sagl hurts, but the Red Foxes have several key players returning from last season, which might be enough to finish above dead last in the league. Like most of his mentor’s squads, Jay Young’s Stags were far better on the defensive end of the floor last season than on the offensive.